Toy Building Brick System

ABSTRACT

A toy building brick system includes a brick having an upper wall and an outer wall that is attached to and extends downwardly from the upper wall. The outer wall has a bottom edge that is a free edge. The outer wall bounds a receiving space configured to releasably engage a male connector such that the outer wall and the receiving space defines a female connector. The outer wall has a first notch and a second notch therein each extending upwardly from the free edge and to the upper wall. The first and second notches form grips to facilitate removal of the brick from a male connector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/852,832, filed on Dec. 22, 2017.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to toy building brick devices and more particularly pertains to a new toy building brick devices for allowing a user thereof to create cubic type patterns and provide for coverings therefore. The invention further facilitates the gripping of a building brick so that it may be easily dislodged from a male connector.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base brick having a cubic shape such that the base brick comprises six outer walls. The base brick has an open interior and each of the outer walls comprises a female receiver such that six female receivers are formed in the base brick. In this manner, the base brick defines an all-female brick. A plurality of inserts is provided and each of the inserts is removably engaged with one of the female receivers such that an outer surface of each of the inserts faces outwardly of the open interior.

In another embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a brick having an upper wall and an outer wall that is attached to and extends downwardly from the upper wall. The outer wall has a bottom edge that is a free edge. The outer wall bounds a receiving space configured to releasably engage a male connector such that the outer wall and the receiving space defines a female connector. The outer wall has a first notch and a second notch therein each extending upwardly from the free edge and to the upper wall. The first and second notches are configured to form grips to facilitate removal of the brick from a male connector.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an all-female brick of a toy building brick system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an all-female brick of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of an insert of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an embodiment of FIG. 5 of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure of an insert including a rotational coupler connection.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure of an insert including a rotational coupler connection.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure of an extension member including a rotational coupler connection.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure of an extension member including a rotational coupler connection.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of an extension member of the disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of an extension member of the disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of an insert of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of an insert of FIG. 13 of the disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 15 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a partially exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of a cover of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of FIG. 18 of the disclosure.

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a male peg of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a top perspective view of a cover of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 23 of the disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a top view of a single peg brick an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 26 is a bottom view of FIG. 25 of the disclosure.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a single peg brick of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 28 is a top and front perspective view of an all-male sided brick of the disclosure wherein a bottom and rear perspective view thereof is a mirror image of FIG. 28.

FIG. 29 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a cover of the disclosure.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 30-30 of FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is a side view of a brick of FIG. 23 of the disclosure.

FIG. 32 is a bottom view of a brick of FIG. 23 of the disclosure.

FIG. 33 is a top view of a brick of FIG. 23 of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 33 thereof, a new toy building brick devices embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 30, the toy building brick system 10 generally comprises a structure and system to be utilized with building brick systems utilizing generally similar structures for frictionally coupling together these structures. Typically these structures comprise interconnecting toy bricks and the systems therefore. These brick systems are ubiquitous in the toy arts and are found in multiple references such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282. Toy bricks of this type may be found, for instance, being sold under the names Lego and Duplo. Lego and Duplo bricks may be analogous to either generally, but vary in size with respect to each other. More particularly, the Duplo toy bricks includes larger features than Lego toy bricks which allows Duplo type bricks to be used more easily by small children.

The system 10 herein includes a base brick 12 having a cubic shape such that the base brick comprises six outer walls 14. The base brick 12 has an open interior and each of the outer walls 14 comprises a female receiver 15 such that six female receivers 15 are formed in the base brick 12. More specifically, each of the outer walls 14 includes a panel that has an outer surface 17 and an inner surface 18. The panel has an opening 19 therein extending through the outer 17 and inner 18 surfaces and is centrally located. Though other shapes may be utilized, such as particularly rectangular, more typically the opening 19 will be square shaped and is bounded by a perimeter surface 20. A shoulder 21 is formed in the perimeter surface 20 and extends inward of the opening 19. The shoulder 21 is co-extensive with the perimeter surface 20. The shoulder 21 is spaced from the outer surface 17 to form the female receiver 15 from the outer surface 17 to the shoulder 21. The shoulder 21 may further have an interior edge 22 bounding the opening 19. In particular version of the base brick, as found in FIG. 4, includes an interior being entirely open. Another embodiment, found in FIGS. 1-3, includes internal bracing 23 structure to provide rigidity to the base brick 12 as well as structural support to prevent the base brick 12 from bending or cracking along its outer edges.

A plurality of inserts 26 is provided and each of the inserts 26 is removably engaged with one of the female receivers 15 such that an outer surface 27 of each of the inserts 26 faces outwardly of the open interior of the base brick 12. As shown generally in FIGS. 5-8 and FIGS. 13-14, the inserts 26 each include a plate 28 that has a first side 29, a second side 30 and a perimeter edge 31 wherein the first side 29 defines the outer surface 27. The perimeter edge 31 is abuttable against and frictionally engaged to the perimeter surface 20 of the female receiver 15. More particularly, the plate 28 will have the same shape as the female receiver 15 and therefore will typically have a square shape. The second side 30 is abuttable against the shoulder 21.

A plurality of male pegs 34 may be attached to the second side 30 as shown in FIG. 5. The male pegs 34 frictionally engaging the interior edge 22 of the shoulder 21 and/or the internal bracing 23 found in FIG. 1. Each of the male pegs 34 has a terminal end 35. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the terminal ends 35 may each have notches 36 therein such that the terminal ends 35 are angled downwardly toward adjacent portions of the perimeter edge. Alternatively a ledge may be formed by the notches 36 as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. The notches allow for adjacent interaction of male pegs 34 of stacked of adjacent blocks as shown in FIG. 22. The notches 36 may also be utilized to allow a tighter, flusher fit with the perimeter surfaces of the female receivers 15. While not all male pegs 34 of the Figures include notches 36, it should be understood that all or none of the male pegs discussed herein and shown in the Figures may include the notches. This may be particularly true for FIG. 28 depicting an all-male brick 37 having all six sides being male, as opposed to female, couplers. While these male pegs 34 are shown as cylinders, they may also include notches 36.

FIGS. 25-27 include male peg 34 and female receiver combination bricks. The notches 36 in these male pegs 34 may extend completely around each terminal end 35 since with a single male peg 34 its entire perimeter is adjacent to portions of the perimeter edges of the brick to which it is attached. FIG. 25 shows a version of a single pegged sides from the top and FIG. 26 is shows the bottom having a female connector 38. Thus, FIGS. 25 and 26 include five male pegged sides and one female connector side. FIG. 27 includes three female connectors 38 and the opposite sides include three male pegs 34 which are not viewable from the depicted view. Also contemplated, but not shown, is an embodiment including two adjacent female connectors 38 and an embodiment including two oppositely positioned female connectors 38.

A plurality of male connectors 40 may be provided and attached to outer surfaces, or second sides 30, of the plurality of inserts 26 as shown in FIG. 5. However, as shown in FIG. 13, the outer surfaces 30 may be planar. The outer surface 30 of the plurality of inserts 26 having the male connectors 40, as shown in FIG. 5, will include at least one male connector 40 attached thereto and each of the male connectors 40 may comprise a plurality of male pegs 34. More specifically, each male connector 40 may include four male pegs 34. Thus, some of the inserts 26 will be reversible and some will not and furthermore some inserts 26 will include means for engaging other bricks opposite of the base brick to which they are first attached. This is best shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 wherein both types of inserts 26 are being utilized with a single base brick 12. FIG. 17 shows how inserts 26 having planar outer surfaces 30 may be positioned such that they encapsulate a plurality of base bricks 12 having inserts including male connectors 40 so that adjacent ones of the base bricks 12 may be coupled together.

The system 10 includes a plurality of covers 42, examples of which are found in FIGS. 18, 19, 23, 24, 29 and 30. Each of the covers 42 is removably attached to one of the male connectors 40. The covers 42 are positionable over and cover an associated one of the outer surfaces 30. Each of the covers 42 includes a rectangular member 43 having a first side 44 and a second side 46. The rectangular member 43 comprises a solid wall and the second sides 46 of the covers 42 each including a female connector 47 engageable with one of the male connectors 40. The female connector 47 includes a receiving space for receiving and frictionally engaging the male pegs 34 of the male connectors 40. FIGS. 18 and 19 include trapezoidal side walls and open sided ends for allowing a person to more easily grip the covers 42 to disengage them from the male connectors. FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 depict additional embodiments of the covers 42 having corner openings 50 therein. The embodiment in FIGS. 29 and 30 provide for a peripheral wall 48 having cutout 49 formed therein for gripping by a person's fingernail. The open sided ends, corner openings 50 and cutouts 49 all provide a gripping area to facilitate disengagement of the coves 42 from the male connectors 40/male pegs 34. It should be understood that each cover 42 may be sized to engage any selected number of male pegs 34. The embodiment in FIG. 24 may best be suited for engagement with single male peg while that found in FIG. 18 might include any required size so that it would fit matrixes of 2×2 male pegs, 3×3 male pegs and the like. The first sides 44 of the covers 42 are completely planar meaning that they are without any structure extending upwardly therefrom.

With particular respect to FIGS. 23 and 24 as well as FIGS. 31-33 the cover 42 comprises a brick 70 that has an upper wall 71 and an outer wall 72 which is attached to and extends downwardly from the upper wall 71. The outer wall 72 has a bottom edge 73 and the bottom edge defined a free edge. The outer wall 72 bounds a receiving space 74 configured to releasably engage a male connector 40 such that the outer wall 72 and the receiving space 74 defines a female connector. The outer wall 72 has a first notch 75 and a second notch 76 therein each extending upwardly from the bottom edge 73 and to the upper wall 71. The first 75 and second 76 notches are configured to form grips to facilitate removal of the brick 70 from a male connector 40. The first 75 and second 76 notches are positioned opposite of each other.

The upper wall 71 may have a rectangular shape having a first edge 77, a second edge 78, a third edge 79 and a fourth edge 80 wherein the first 77 and third 79 edges are positioned opposite of each other. The first notch 75 is positioned adjacent to a first corner 81 formed by the first 77 and second 78 edges. The second notch 76 is positioned adjacent to a second corner 82 formed by the third 79 and fourth 80 edges. Thus, as stated above, the first 75 and second 76 notches define corner openings 50. The outer wall 72 includes only two wall corners 83 and the wall corners 83 are positioned opposite of each other.

The upper wall 71 has an upper surface 84 that is entirely planar such that no connecting structure extends upwardly from the upper surface 84 or downwardly into the upper surface 84. Indicia may be positioned on the upper surface 84 such that the upper surface 84 may be utilized for forming words or images.

FIGS. 9-12 depict various extenders 52 that are connectable with the inserts 26 to allow two inserts 26 to be coupled together. Each of the extenders 52 includes a frame 53 having an outer perimeter wall 54 bounding an inner space 55. The outer perimeter wall 54 has an interior surface 56 and an exterior surface 57. The interior surface 56 extends around an aperture 58 passing through the extender 52. Each of the male connectors 40 is removably receivable and engageable with one of the interior surfaces 56. The aperture 58 may be square shaped or substantially square shaped as is shown in FIG. 11. A pair of supports 59 traverses the aperture 58 and is attached to the interior surface 56. The supports 59 are orientated perpendicular to each other. As can be seen in FIGS. 9-12, the supports 59 divide the aperture 58 into four sub-openings 60 each positioned to receive a single male peg 34. In this manner, the extenders 52 allow two inserts 26 to be attached together. When multiple base bricks 12, inserts 26 and extenders 52 are used in conjunction with each other, the system 10 may be used to form various structures such as a cube. The extenders 52, particularly those of the type shown in FIG. 11, will typically have apertures having a depth equal to at least two times a height of the male pegs 34 but less than 2.5 times the height of the male pegs 34. The extenders 52 may also be used with all-male bricks 37 of the type found in FIG. 28 to allow two male bricks to be coupled together in close proximity to each other to simulate a cube shape as is being formed in FIG. 20. However, it should be understood that the structure of FIG. 20 may be comprised of all-female base bricks 12 including inserts 26 having outwardly extending male couplers 40 that are engaged with the extenders 52.

While FIGS. 9 and 10 appear to have a similar depth as the extender of FIG. 11, these extenders 52 may only require a depth equal to at least the height of a male peg 34. These versions of the extenders 52 include rotational couplers. Each of rotational couplers includes a first mating member 61 and a second mating member 62. At least some of the extenders 52 has one of the first mating members 61 coupled thereto and at least some of the extenders 52 has one of the second mating members 62 coupled thereto. The first mating member 61 of one of the extenders 52 is removably engageable to the second mating member 62 of one of the extenders 52 to rotationally couple corresponding ones of the extenders 52 together. The corresponding ones of the extenders 52 has a rotational axis orientated and aligned with an axis of associated ones of the apertures 58. The first 61 and second 62 mating members may also be found on inserts 26 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The rotational couplers allow pairs of the inserts 26 and/or pairs of extenders to be rotationally coupled together as well as inserts 26 rotationally coupled to extenders 52. The first mating member 61 may include a pair of arms 63 each having a free end including a flange 64. The arms 63 are extendable into the second mating member 62 and the flanges 64 insertable into an annular slot 65 positioned within the second mating member 62 to allow the flanges 64 to engage and rotate with respect to the second mating member 62.

FIG. 12 provides for an extender 52 having a peripheral edge including male pegs 34 for engagement with other bricks. The male pegs 34 shown in FIG. 12 include two male pegs 34 positioned on each independent side of the peripheral edge wherein the peripheral edge includes four independent sides. However, only two oppositely positioned ones of the independent sides may include male pegs 34.

In use, the system 10 allows a person to utilize all-female building bricks, represented by the base bricks 12, to construct arrangements not previously allowed by way of conventional toy brick assemblies. The user may use the inserts 26 to simply cover the female receivers 15, attach covers 42 to the base bricks 12 or, by utilizing the extenders 52, to connect base bricks 12 together. As can be seen in FIGS. 17 and 20, this structure allows the user of the system 10 to build in all directions simultaneously and to build cubic structures not available with other toy brick assemblies. The covers 53 provide for pleasing aesthetics and may be colored multiple colors to allow personal tailoring of structures created with the system 10.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

1. A grippable building brick assembly comprising: a brick having an upper wall and an outer wall being attached to and extending downwardly from said upper wall, said outer wall having a bottom edge, said bottom edge being a free edge, said outer wall bounding a receiving space configured to releasably engage a male connector such that said outer wall and said receiving space defines a female connector, said upper wall having a rectangular shape, said rectangular shape having a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, said first and third edges being positioned opposite of each other; and said outer wall having a first notch and a second notch therein each extending upwardly from said free edge and to said upper wall, said first and second notches being configured to form grips to facilitate removal of said brick from a male connector, said first notch being positioned adjacent to a first corner formed by said first and second edge, said second notch being positioned adjacent to a second corner formed by said third and fourth edges.
 2. The grippable building brick assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first and second notches are positioned opposite of each other.
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. The grippable building brick assembly according to claim 1, wherein said outer wall includes only two wall corners, said wall corners being positioned opposite of each other.
 6. The grippable building brick assembly according to claim 1, wherein said upper wall has an upper surface being entirely planar.
 7. The grippable building brick assembly according to claim 4, wherein said upper wall has an upper surface being entirely planar.
 8. A grippable building brick assembly comprising: a brick having an upper wall and an outer wall being attached to and extending downwardly from said upper wall, said outer wall having a bottom edge, said bottom edge being a free edge, said outer wall bounding a receiving space configured to releasably engage a male connector such that said outer wall and said receiving space defines a female connector; said outer wall having a first notch and a second notch therein each extending upwardly from said free edge and to said upper wall, said first and second notches being configured to form grips to facilitate removal of said brick from a male connector, said first and second notches being positioned opposite of each other; said upper wall having a rectangular shape having a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge wherein said first and third edges are positioned opposite of each other; said first notch being positioned adjacent to a first corner formed by said first and second edge, said second notch being positioned adjacent to a second corner formed by said third and fourth edges; said outer wall including only two wall corners, said wall corners being positioned opposite of each other; and said upper wall having an upper surface being entirely planar. 